Guard-covering for third rails.



E. M. SGHOLLENBBRGER. GUARD COVERING FOR THIRD RAILS, APPLICATION nun JUNE 4, 190B.

91 0,730. Patented Jan, 26, 1909.

ms NORRIS PETERS 50-, wnsumorau, n. c.

TINITED STATES PATENT OFFTOE.

EDMUND M. SOHOLLENBERGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO HAL- DOR O. PETERSON AND ONE-THIRD TO GEORGE ROTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

Application filed. June 4, 1908. Serial No. 436,555.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND M. SCHOL- LENBERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guard- Ooverings for Third Rails and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in guard coverings for third or live rails of electric railways, and the primary object is to provide an improved guard covering for the rail for shielding the rail from the action of the elements and also prevent danger of accidents arising from contact with the live rail.

A further object is to provide an improved sectional shield or guard, and improved means whereby the shield or guard may be readily attached to the rail.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and usefulobj ects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing, illustrating an embodiment of the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a detail side elevation showing two sections of an improved guard or shield constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention as applied to a rail. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 1, showing the conductor shoe in contact with the third rail. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on line l-4 of Fig. 1. 5 is a detail sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing and in the present exemplification of the invention the numeral 10 designates the ordinary third or live rail, which may be supported by means of any suitable support in the usual manner, such as by means of ties 11, upon which are mounted the insulator supports 12, to which the third rail 10 is secured.

The improved guard or shield is constructed in sections, and each section preferably comprises a plurality of separable clips comprising members 13, 14. These members of the clips are each preferably provided with a depending flange 15, 16, extending below the base thereof, and the members of the clamp or clip are adapted to extend below the rail, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawing, so that the flanges 15, 16 will contact with each other below the rail. A suitable insulating material-17 is provided between the clip and the rail, and the members of the clip may be secured together so as to clamp the rail in any desired or suitable manner, preferably by means of fastening devices 18 passing through the flange 15, 16 below the rail. Each of the members of the clip is provided with an upright portion 19,

which extends above the base of the rail and an inwardly projecting portion 20 having an inclined face which extends over the base of the rail the insulating material 17 also projecting above the base of the rail so as to stand between the inwardly projecting portions 20 and the rail, whereby the clip when secured in position will be thoroughly insulated from the rail.

The inner face of the upper extremities of the portion 19 of the clip members is preferably cut away as at 21, and secured to each of the members of the clip is an elastic member 22, preferably in the form of a leaf spring, and is supported by the clip member preferably by means. of one extremity thereof resting in the cutaway portion 21 and is secured to the clip member in any desired or suitable manner, preferably by means of a fastening device 23 passing through the extremity of the elastic member and into the clip member. One of these elastic members 22 is arranged on each side of the rail and these members are arranged directly opposite each other and are shaped to substantially follow the contour of the rail so as to form a space between the elastic members and the rail. The free extremities 24 of the elastic members are adapted to normally contact with each other above the tread of the rail, and these extremities are preferably curved or deflected, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawing, so that the faces of the extremities of the elastic members will engage each other. Any number of these clips, together with the cooperating elastic members 22, may be provided for each section of the guard or covering. In the present exemplification of the invention three of such clips are shown, and the clips may be secured to the rail at any desired intervals so as to space the elastic members 22 longitudinally with respect to the rail. The upright elastic members 22 may be connected in any desired or suitable manner to form a section, and in the present exemplification of the invention there is shown a plurality of members 25 in the form of bars or straps, which are spaced from each other lengthwise of the upright members 22 and extend transversely across the elastic members 22. These bars or straps 25 may be secured to the elastic members in any desired or suitable manner, preferably by means of fastening devices 26, such as bolts, rivets or the like. The frame thus formed by the clips .and the respective cooperating upright elastic members 22 may be covered or support a suitable flexible waterproof material 25, such for example, as leather, rubber, painted canvas, canvas and layers of rubber secured together, or any other suitable waterproof flexible material, and is secured referably to the inner face of the upright e astic members 22 to form a covering or shield for the third rail to protect the rail from the elements.

The sections of the guard or covering thus formed are arranged end-to-end, and the adjacent upright elastic members 22 may be offset or cut away as at 27, shown more clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawing, to form an overlapping joint to. prevent the endmost member of the section from being struck by the shoe 28 as the latter advances in contact with the third rail.

The guard or shield may be spaced any desired distance from the face of the rail, but of such a distance as to permit the shoe 28 to move freely upon the rail below the guard or shield. The normal tendency of the free ends of the elastic members 22 is to cause the members to engage and as the shoe 28 advances the elastic members may be separated so as to permit the advancing movement of the shoe, in any desired or suitable manner, but preferably by means of the ears or projections 29 on the shoe, the outer edges 30; of which (shown more clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawing) are reduced so. that the ears or projections. will have a substantially triangular configuration in cross section. The shoes may be supported in the usual manner from a suitable support 31 by means of ordinary links 32. After the shoe has advanced to pass from under one section of the guard or shield, that section through the medium of the elastic upright membersv 22 Will automatically close over the rail to protect the latter.

\Nith this improved construction it will be apparent that the guard or shield is not only supported directly by the rail, but may be readily applied to any formof rail, and may be as readily detached without altering theconstruction of the rail: or providing any additional fastening devices.

Furthermore, with this improved con- Struction it will be apparent that-any one of the sections may be readily removed for repairs or for any other purpose, without interfering with the remaining sections of the guard or shield.

In order that the invention might be fully understood the details of the foregoing embodiment have been thus specifically described, but

What I claim as new is 1. A guard covering for third rails consisting of elastic side walls, and means for detachably securing the covering directly to the rail, said walls being adapted for free lateral movements with respect to the rail.

2. A guard covering for third rails consisting of elastic side walls, said walls contacting with each other above the rail, and means for detachably securing the covering directly to the rail, said walls being adapted for free lateral movements with respect to the rail.

3. A guard covering for third rails consisting of elastic side Walls, said walls contacting with each other above the rail, and means for detachably securing the covering directly to the base of the rail, said walls being adapted for free lateral movements with respect to the rail.

4. A guard covering for third rails co-nsisting of elastic side walls, said walls contacting 95 with each other above the rail, and means for detachably securing the covering directly to the base of the rail whereby the securing means and walls will be supported by the rail, said securing means comprising separable cli members.

5. 1i guard covering for third rails consisting of elastic side walls, said walls contacting with each other above the rail, means for detachably securing the coveringto the base of 105 the rail, said means comprising separable clip members supported directly by the rail, and insulating material between the clip members and the rail.

6. A guard covering for third rails comprising a plurality of upright oppositely disposed elastic members spaced from each other longitudinally with respect to the rail, and cooperating clip members secured to one extremity of the elastic members for de- 115 tachably securing said members to the rail, and a flexible waterproof member supported by the said elastic members, the free extremities of the cooperating members contacting with each other above the rail.

7. A guard covering for third rails comprising a plurality of upright opositely disposed elastic members spaced from each other longitudinally with respect to the rail, and cooperating clip members secured to 125 one extremity of the elastic members for de tachably securing said members to. the rail, connecting members extending transversely of the upright members, and a flexible waterproof member supported by the said elastic 130 members, the free extremities of the cooperating members contacting With each other above the rail.

8. A sectional guard covering for third rails, each section comprising elastic side Walls spaced from the rail and contacting With each other above the rail, and means for removably securing the sections directly to the rail, end to end, said Walls and securing means being supported by the rail the adj acent portions of the sections being offset and overlapped to form closed joints.

9. A sectional guard covering for third rails, each section comprising elastic side walls, and means for removably securing the sections directly to the rail, the free ends of the Walls contacting and having an extended bearing against each other above the rail, said Walls and securing means being supported by the rails.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this 29th day of May A. D. 1908.

EDMUND M. SCHOLLENBERGER.

WVitnesses J. H. JooHUM, Jr., M. W. CANTWELL. 

